9 Common Beliefs About Eye Health: What Do the Experts Say?

About 4 in 10 adults in the United States are at high risk of vision loss, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although many eye conditions can be treated or prevented, according to Dr. Joshua Ehrlich, assistant professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the University of Michigan.

Here are nine common beliefs people have about eye health, and what experts say about them, according to The New York Times:

Looking at an electronic device up close can harm your eyes

This is a fact. Our eyes are not meant to focus on objects close to our face for long periods of time, says Dr. Xiaoying Zhu, associate clinical professor of optometry and myopia researcher at New York University. And when we do this, especially in children, it encourages the eyeball to lengthen, which over time can cause myopia.

To help reduce eye strain, Dr. Chu recommends the 20-20-20 rule: After every 20 minutes of close reading or browsing an electronic device, look at something at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.

Reading in the dark can worsen your eyesight

This is a wrong belief. However, if the lighting is so dim that you need to hold your book or tablet close to your face, it can increase the risks mentioned above, and lead to eyestrain, which can cause pain around the eyes, headaches, and difficulty concentrating. Dr. Chu says these are usually temporary symptoms.

Spending more time outside helps vision

This is a fact. Maria Liu, associate professor of optometry at the University of California, says some research (mostly focusing on children) suggests that spending time outdoors can reduce the risk of myopia. Experts don’t fully understand why this is, but some research suggests that bright sunlight may encourage the retina to produce dopamine, which reduces the incidence of nearsightedness, although these experiments were conducted mostly on animals, says Dr. Chu.

Ultraviolet light damages eyesight

This is a fact. Experts advocate against staring at the sun, and Dr. Ehrlich says excessive exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B rays can “cause irreversible damage” to the retina. He said this could also increase the risk of developing cataracts.

Wearing glasses all the time impairs vision

This is wrong and common information. Some patients who need glasses tell Dr. Sval Khanal, assistant professor of optometry and vision sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, that they don’t wear their glasses all the time; Because they think it will make their condition worse. He replied, “This is not true.” If you need glasses, they must be worn.

The blue light from screens is harmful to your eyes

This is a common mistake. Dr. Ehrlich says that while some research has found that exposure to blue light can damage the retina, possibly causing vision problems over time, there is no solid evidence that this occurs with typical exposures in humans. He added that there is no evidence that wearing glasses that block blue light will improve eye health.

For her part, Dr. Chu says screens can be harmful to eyesight in other ways, including causing dry eyes. “When we stare at the screen, we don’t blink as much as we should,” and this can cause eye strain and temporary blurred vision.

Smoking is harmful to eye health

this is real. CDC recommendations in a 2011 study linked smoking to self-reported age-related eye diseases in older adults, including cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, a disease that means part of the retina collapses and leads to blurred vision. Dr Khanal said the toxic chemicals in cigarettes enter the bloodstream and damage delicate tissues in the eye, including the retina and lens.

Carrots are good for your eyes

This is real. While a carrot-heavy diet won’t give you perfect vision, some evidence suggests that the nutrients in carrots are good for eye health. One large clinical trial, for example, found that supplements containing nutrients found in carrots, including antioxidants such as beta-carotene, vitamin C and vitamin E, can slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration.

Dr. Ehrlich says a diet rich in antioxidants won’t necessarily prevent eye disease, but it may be beneficial “especially for people with early-onset macular degeneration.”

Vision deterioration is part of aging

This is a common mistake. Most causes of mature vision impairment, including age-related macular degeneration and cataracts, are preventable or treatable if detected early. According to Dr. Ehrlich, if your vision begins to diminish, don’t treat the pain as a symptom of aging, he added, adding that seeing an optometrist or ophthalmologist right away (or regularly every year) will give you the best chance of avoiding these conditions.